KOZHIKODE: The floating discarded sea nets off the Neeleshwaram coast in Kasargod have become a death trap for Olive ridley turtles. According to ‘Neythal’, an NGO associated with the protection of turtles at Thaikadappuram beach in Neeleshwaram, 19 turtles suffered injuries after being entangled in the net in the past week.
The department of social forestry has called upon the people to alert them if they came across an injured or exhausted turtle on the coast.
“We are treating the injured turtles at our rescue centre adjacent to the hatchery in Neeleshwaram. After the wounds heal, they will be set free into the sea,” said J. Shajna, Assistant Forest Conservator, Kasargod.
Injured olive riddle turtles are being attended to with the help of volunteers of Neythal. At present, seven turtles are being attended to here including one which lost one of its feet. Neythal secretary and environmental activist, K. Praveen Kumar alleges that fish boats from South Kerala abandon the net which they had laid for catching squid in the sea.
“They lay the trap wide using empty cans and gas filled bottles nearly 20 nautical miles off the coast. After a week, they return to see the catch. After taking the squid, they discard the net. Gradually shells and mussels stick to the net and this attracts the turtles to the net,” explained Mr Kumar. Earlier, instead of fibre net, traditional coconut flowers were used which did not cause any threat to the turtles. Apart from that, turtles get injured when they smash into the propellers of boats.
Neythal had approached the Fisheries Joint Director appealing that the practice of discarding the nets in the sea be stopped. The NGO had so far hatched more than 23,000 eggs of olive ridley turtles and released the newborns into the sea since 2003.
